Press Reviews
“‘Flieg steil’ is a refreshingly energetic directorial debut about the contrasts between the left and the right—and everything in between.” (Südwest Presse)
“‘Flieg steil’ feels like the fulfillment of a promise this movement had never quite delivered on before: to make films that are fresh and immediate, in tune with the times and challenging—and that stand in stark contrast to the more sedate production routines of state-funded cinema.” (KNA)
“A young, wild indie drama” (SPOT)
“‘Flieg steil’ is a perfect fit for the dedicated label Darling Berlin, which is committed to young, wild independent film from Berlin and will release ‘Flieg steil’ on August 6, 2026. Just as at the Oldenburg Film Festival, things have come full circle here: the label released its first title, ‘Love Steaks.’ Incidentally, Jakob Lass also makes an appearance in ‘Flieg steil.’ Tom Lass, who directed Cooper and Radunski in supporting roles in “Blind & Ugly,” plays Cervezito in this new, truly young and wild film, which was also produced by UCM. A prominent supporter of the film is Charlotte Roche, who serves as an associate producer. It will be interesting to see what Cooper and Schöne-Radunski come up with next.”(SPOT)
“‘Flieg steil’ is an unusual political farce with bold ideas and a powerful finale.” (film-rezensionen.de)
“The feature film ‘Flieg steil’ sharply dissects the contradictions of radical subcultures, shows how belonging and exclusion are mutually dependent—and asks who or what is left in the end.” (Queer.de)
“The great strength of ‘Flieg steil’ lies in its ability to highlight such contradictions without resolving them in a didactic manner. It’s no coincidence that the narrative tone—which at times seems improvised—and the nervous camerawork are reminiscent of the films of so-called German Mumblecore, one of the few genuinely independent film movements in German cinema over the past decades. As actresses, Martina Schöne-Radunski and Lana Cooper played pivotal roles in numerous Mumblecore productions by the brothers Tom and Jakob Lass or by Philipp Eichholtz in the early to mid-2010s. “Flieg steil” feels like the fulfillment of a promise this movement had never quite delivered on until now: to make films that are fresh and immediate, in tune with the spirit of the times and challenging—and that stand in stark contrast to the more sedate production routines of state-subsidized cinema.” (Filmdienst)
“‘Flieg steil’ is uncompromisingly eccentric, nonconformist underground cinema that refuses to conform to a clear-cut good-versus-evil narrative.” (Programmkino.de)
“A milestone of German cinema like ‘Oi! Warning’ (1999) or ‘Kriegerin’” (2011)” (kinozeit)
“Martina Schöne-Radunski’s directorial debut is about young people caught between political extremes.” (NWZ)
“A small, fine, perhaps a bit half-baked, but likable film—and a committed one at that!” (Filmjournalisten.de)
“Aging left-wing autonomists and young right-wing radicals find common ground—a seemingly absurd scenario, but a refreshingly honest film production” (Rhein Zeitung)
“Refreshingly honest” (Bonner Generalanzeiger)
